Potential Adoption Changes

House Bill 4571 (Feigenholtz, D-Chicago) Makes a number of changes to adoption law. (1) Clarifies that a prospective-adoptive parent may give a gift or gifts to the biological parent if they do not exceed $200 in total. (2) Allows a prospective-adoptive parent to advance a maximum of $1,000 for reasonable birth-parent living-expenses without court approval. But it requires a final accounting of all expenses before entry of a final order. (3) Allows a prospective-adoptive parent to seek reimbursement of reasonable-living expenses from a person who receives these payments for another person who he or she knows not to be pregnant or who receives payments simultaneously from more than one prospective adoptive-parent. (4) Requires court approval if the reasonable attorney fees of the biological parent (to be paid by the prospective-adoptive parents) are more than $1,000. Requires that all fees be included in the final accounting. (5) Expands access by the confidential intermediary to vital records maintained by another state’s vital records’ depository. (6) Clarifies any non-identifying information learned during the confidential intermediary’s search may be given to the petitioner at any time during the search before the case is closed. (7) Allows a confidential intermediary to provide to an eligible petitioner with information about (a) the name and contact information of the agency that had legal custody of or responsibility for the surrendered person and (b) the name of the state in which the surrender or the adoption occurred.

The bill passed unanimously in the House on May 6, 2008. The bill is now pending in the Senate.